AG9b: 1883, Churchly Authorities: governing bodies, preachers; with download

      This continues from Part AG9a (Table of Contents in Part AG1a) in a series presenting Walther's essays to the Western District that supported his theme "That Only Through the Doctrine of the Lutheran Church is All Glory Given to God Alone". — Walther now finishes his "Churchly Authorities" heading with the topics of the limitations of the powers of a congregational governing body and of preachers. — From pp. 46-66: 

Notable Quotes:

46: Thesis V: "Nor does any governing body of an individual congregation, whether it be called a council, elders, church council, presbytery, or the like" (Walther first gives biblical teaching on the "governing body".)

47: "We do not find any account of the establishment of the lay presbyterate in the New Testament.…certain proof that it is not an office in the church specially instituted by God"

49: "Among them [Presbyterians], the presbytery rules the congregation so completely that everything they decree is law for the congregation."

50: "It was therefore apostolic practice that not the presbytery stood above the congregation, but the congregation above the presbytery."

50: Thesis VI: "But can't the preacher, who is a servant of Christ, rule over Christians in God's stead? The sixth thesis answers this question: No preacher can…"

50: "Nor should he think that [he is lord over congregation] because he is more educated and knowledgeable"

51: "the office of a preacher is the highest…of all offices…nevertheless, it is…only a diakonia, a service"

52: "Through the Lutheran Reformation, we were not saved from the papacy in order to establish another form of rule…" [Also not synodical rule.]

52: Smalcald Articles: "In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul makes all church ministers equal and teaches that the Church is above the ministers" [Tr 11]

54: "The preacher must have his doctrine examined and judged by the congregation."

55: "one should not read bad or suspicious books or listen to such preachers, unless one has a special calling to do so (Acts 19:19, Matthew 7:15)." [Acts 19:19: "Many of them also which used curious (or magic) arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men"]

56: "The present Romanizing Lutherans now admit that ”the church" has the power to test doctrine, but they deny this right to individual Christians."

57: Luther: "For Christ immediately sets up the opposite, taking away from the bishops, scholars, and councils both the right and the power to judge doctrine, and giving it to everyone and to all Christians in general"

58: "C. The preacher must not command anything that Christ has not commanded."

59: "…Hebrews 13:17 and Matthew 23:2-3, which are …often misinterpreted by Romanizing Lutherans and used to whitewash their priestly rule"

61: "the Jesuits, these satellites of the Antichrist"

61: "D. A preacher has no power to determine or act arbitrarily on matters that concern the entire congregation."

61: "As regards excommunication…the Apostle (1 Corinthians 5) rebukes not so much the bishop as the entire congregation of Corinth for not taking action against the adulterer…A preacher therefore has neither the right to impose excommunication nor to release anyone from it without the congregation."

63: Luther: "I call it the devil's ban and not God's ban, since people are banned for wicked deeds before they are publicly convicted before the congregation, contrary to Christ's order.…the pastor only has to carry out the excommunication publicly in the name of the congregation" [On excommunication]

66: "which of the various good orders and ceremonies are to be chosen, the preacher cannot determine in the slightest without the consent of the congregation" [Pastors do not chose the church order, only the congregation.]

      Now I present my English translation of the full complete essay. It includes missing portions restored, all emphasized wording retained, wording sometimes closer to Walther's, and hyperlinks for reference and navigation:

Download text file with no highlights here; German text file here.

May readers, like me, gain an increased Biblical understanding of Christian freedom and the limitations of Churchly Authority over congregations. Amen! — In the next Part 10…